The Shu Sect's Plan, Coveting the World Source
The Shu Sect’s Plan, Coveting the World Source
Inside the Shu Sect’s main hall, a solemn silence reigned. No one spoke; everyone simply stared quietly at the Old Sword Immortal in the center.
This was a matter concerning the very survival of the Shu Sect. Even with the Old Sword Immortal’s astonishing seniority, he could not speak recklessly at a time like this.
The numerous Elders exchanged glances, their eyes all flickering with contemplation and unwillingness.
“What Shishu says is reasonable, but our Shu Sect originally had no need to invite such a calamity upon ourselves. That Young Master Gu’s strength is far more terrifying than even those invading Otherworldly Sky Demons.”
Finally, the current Sect Master of the Shu Sect—the refined man known to the world as the Abundance Sword Immortal—spoke up, his expression carrying a trace of helplessness.
Gu Changge’s strength was now understood by the entire Profound Sword World—he had crushed three Earth Sword Immortals to death with a single palm.
Let alone the Shu Sect, even if the strongest experts of all the forces across the Thirteen States were added together, they would likely still be unable to contend against him.
And the cause of all this was precisely the Old Sword Immortal’s unauthorized issuance of the Sword Immortal Order.
Originally, Gu Changge and the Profound Sword World could have coexisted in peace.
“So all of you are now blaming this old man?”
The Old Sword Immortal was no fool. He quickly figured out the intentions of everyone in the hall, and his face took on an expression of anger.
He truly had not expected that at a juncture like this, instead of thinking about how to resist Gu Changge, the Shu Sect would be thinking about how to avoid this calamity—and even blaming him for it.
This left him deeply disappointed. How had these disciples and grand-disciples of his lost their fighting spirit, knowing only how to submit meekly to adversity?
The Profound Sword World had suffered such a great catastrophe—how could Gu Changge possibly be a good person? He was merely very good at disguising himself. Now, not only had the Snow Sword Immortal been deceived by him, but even these Elders of the Shu Sect were so terrified that they dared not fight back.
“Shishu, we understand everything you wish to say, but our Shu Sect truly cannot bear such enormous losses. Star Sword Valley is now nothing but ruins—as for the reason, I believe you are perfectly clear on it.”
“Even if that Young Master surnamed Gu harbors ill intentions, before his true designs are fully revealed, we are still safe. We can continue to buy time and search for a solution.” The Abundance Sword Immortal sighed softly.
He had already made things perfectly clear. If the Shu Sect went to war with Gu Changge, it would be no different from throwing eggs at a rock.
Aside from being reduced to ashes, there would be no other outcome.
And now, the Shu Sect still had one last hope—to stall until the World’s Will awakened, and wait for this world to undergo a great reversal.
This was the revelation and the method they had obtained at the Ancient Altar.
“This old man understands. So today, you all intend to seize me and deliver me to that Gu fellow as an apology, to keep this calamity from—” Hearing these words, a cold smile suddenly appeared on the Old Sword Immortal’s face.
That face, which had always seemed to possess the bearing of an immortal sage, was now filled with desolation.
Within the Shu Sect’s hall, there was nothing but solemn silence. None of the Elders spoke; only the sound of humming swords echoed between heaven and earth.
“Fine, fine, fine. That boy Lin En will avenge me.” The Old Sword Immortal suddenly burst into laughter, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone, filled with disdain.
“I believe he is the true final hope of our world—not whatever World’s Will you lot have pinned your hopes on.”
The Abundance Sword Immortal’s expression remained unchanged. “We ask that Shishu not make things difficult for us.”
That day, a terrifying event shook the Shu Sect, startling all of its disciples.
The ancient bells among the various mountain peaks trembled and rang without cease. Streak after streak of Sword Qi flowed forth, sweeping across the sky as they rushed toward the main peak.
An Ancestor of the Shu Sect—none other than the Old Sword Immortal—had issued the Sword Immortal Order without authorization, bringing great calamity upon the Shu Sect and even the Thirteen States of the Profound Sword World. He had now been subdued.
When the news spread, the entire Profound Sword World was shaken. Forces such as Sword Cliff and Kong Mountain were left stunned and trembling.
Countless Cultivators and living beings widened their eyes in disbelief, wondering if they had misheard.
The Old Sword Immortal of the Shu Sect was a supreme figure in the hearts of countless sword cultivators. In the various cities, many legends of his youth still circulated.
The cliffs where he had once cultivated, the sword valleys, the stone steles—all of them now drew countless people who came to observe and contemplate, hoping to glean a wisp of his sword intent.
But now, he had been abandoned by the Shu Sect, reduced to a discarded pawn.
This matter shook the world; there was no Cultivator or living being who was not stunned.
Many young people who regarded the Old Sword Immortal as a god cried out in disbelief, unable to accept any of it.
Without a doubt, this was a choice the Shu Sect had made out of helplessness—and at the same time, a gesture of submission and plea for mercy toward Gu Changge.
Many Cultivators could see it clearly: faced with such a great calamity, the Shu Sect’s first move was to seize the chief culprit, the Old Sword Immortal.
With such an attitude already lowered to the utmost, they could only hope that Gu Changge’s wrath would not implicate the Shu Sect.
Sword Cliff, Kong Mountain, and the other forces also immediately distanced themselves from the matter.
At this point, they had finally seen things clearly—Gu Changge and those Otherworldly Sky Demons were not on the same side.
The moment they learned that the Shu Sect had offended Gu Changge, what those Otherworldly Sky Demons displayed was gloating schadenfreude, not any sort of outrage.
Therefore, the best choice was to not provoke Gu Changge—to let well water stay clear of river water.
That way, both sides could coexist in peace.
“Shifu...”
Lin En, who was hurrying toward the Boundless Valley, had a gaze that grew deep and dark for a long while, thick killing intent billowing within it—though it quickly faded as he calmed down.
He understood that if he wanted to rescue the Old Sword Immortal, the only way was to kill Gu Changge—or to avenge the Old Sword Immortal.
But neither of those was something he was currently capable of.
Therefore, he had to find a way to infiltrate deep into the Boundless Valley.
The Shu Sect, in order to avoid this calamity, had actually taken down the Old Sword Immortal with their own hands.
When Ah Qing and Princess Xuan Die learned of this news, they too were quite astonished.
Because of the incident in which Gu Changge had crushed three Earth Sword Immortals to death in Ancient Mulberry City, the entire Profound Sword World had fallen into panic, and the various forces were all deeply uneasy.
Fortunately, the two of them were on close terms with Gu Changge, so they had no such worries.
They were currently traveling together with Gu Changge on the road to the Shu Sect to demand accountability, and had just happened to hear the news coming from the Shu Sect today.
“For the Shu Sect to do this is rather wise of them. Though, doing so will probably earn them the scorn of the other forces.”
Princess Xuan Die’s brows furrowed slightly as she gazed at the vast mountain ranges in the distance, where sword light could be seen flashing and calling out, the mountains stretching on endlessly, a sight of magnificent grandeur.
That was precisely where the Shu Sect was located. Unlike the other forces, the Shu Sect was situated deep within a mountain range—a perilous land of sheer cliffs, shrouded in mist and clouds, with numerous pavilions and palaces standing within, appearing towering and majestic.
“The fault in this matter lies with the Shu Sect. Benefactor himself did nothing wrong.” Ah Qing nodded.
Hearing these words, the gaze of the Snow Sword Immortal—behind her moon-white mask—could not help but reveal a complicated emotion.
Back then, she had advised the Old Sword Immortal not to act rashly, but he had not heeded her words. Instead, he had brought out the Sword Immortal Order, attempting to capture Gu Changge.
Thus it was said that all things followed cause and effect—every drink and every peck was preordained.
Given her friendship with the Old Sword Immortal, she had not wished to see a day like this come to pass. Alas, things had not gone as she wished.
Soon, from the direction of the Shu Sect ahead, several divine rainbows streaked over—they were all Elders of the Shu Sect. They had long since learned of Gu Changge’s arrival and dared not show any negligence, their expressions filled with worry and fear.
Besides the Shu Sect’s Elders, the Abundance Sword Immortal and others were also prominently among them.
“What the Old Sword Immortal did was not the will of our Shu Sect. He has now been imprisoned, awaiting Young Master Gu’s judgment.”
The Abundance Sword Immortal recognized Gu Changge standing at the forefront at a glance, his attitude extremely respectful.
The many Shu Sect disciples who had followed along also wore expressions of fear, their entire bodies trembling involuntarily.
The man before them, with his immortal bearing and Daoist grace, was an existence who could crush an Earth Sword Immortal to death with a casual lift of his hand. Even the entire mighty Shu Sect had no possibility of contending against him.
Even calling him a god would hardly suffice to describe his terror.
“You may all rest assured—I am not one to slaughter the innocent.”
“Since you know what’s good for you, I naturally won’t blame you excessively.”
Gu Changge nodded with a calm expression.
To him, the Shu Sect’s attitude was not particularly surprising, and it saved him quite a bit of effort.
He had already delayed in this Profound Sword World for quite some time. This was the perfect opportunity to borrow the Shu Sect’s strength to locate the World Source.
“I knew Benefactor wouldn’t implicate the Shu Sect.” Ah Qing was not the least bit surprised.
The Snow Sword Immortal and Princess Xuan Die, however, were secretly alarmed—they had not expected Gu Changge to brush the matter aside so lightly.
Hearing these words, the Abundance Sword Immortal and the many Shu Sect Elders could not help but let out long sighs of relief.
Soon after, the entire Shu Sect was stirred. Many disciples had not expected Gu Changge to arrive so quickly and were utterly terrified, believing that a great calamity was upon them.
But they soon learned that Gu Changge had no intention of taking his anger out on them, and only then did they breathe sighs of relief and set their minds at ease.
Many disciples even came to feel that Gu Changge truly was different from those Otherworldly Sky Demons invading the Profound Sword World—at the very least, he did not slaughter the innocent.
The words he had spoken were not necessarily unbelievable.
As for the Old Sword Immortal, his cultivation had already been crippled, and he was now imprisoned in the Shu Sect’s Heavenly Prison.
Without Gu Changge’s consent, he would likely never be released for the rest of his life.
Toward such an ant that he could crush to death at any moment, Gu Changge himself could not be bothered to pay much attention.
However, from the Snow Sword Immortal’s mouth, he had learned quite a bit of information—the Fortuitous One he had seen in Ancient Mulberry City that day was precisely this Old Sword Immortal’s disciple.
And now, that one’s aura was no longer within the Shu Sect; he seemed to have journeyed far away. This came as something of a surprise to Gu Changge.
So, after some thought, he still instructed the Shu Sect’s Sect Master to spare the Old Sword Immortal’s life.
After all, to the Fortuitous One, this was his Shifu—he could still be of some use, one way or another.
The Shu Sect, from top to bottom, did not know Gu Changge’s intentions. Seeing him give such instructions, the many Elders were all the more grateful, unable to fully express their thanks.
Soon, several more days passed, and the entire Profound Sword World descended further into chaos, with all Thirteen States swept up in the flames of war.
The armies dispatched by the many Daoist traditions and forces of the Beyond grew ever greater in number—truly inexhaustible.
By now, even Quasi-Nirvana Realm existences had arrived, carrying supreme secret treasures and concealing their own auras, descending upon this world to slaughter wantonly.
This left countless Cultivators and living beings in despair, unable to perceive even the faintest glimmer of light.
Sword Cliff, Kong Mountain, and the other forces all placed their final hopes upon the World’s Will.
Deep within the Shu Sect, a magnificent palace stood, where Gu Changge had been temporarily residing these past few days.
At this moment, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his plain white robes spotless and untouched by dust. He raised his head to gaze into the distance at the Shu Sect’s forbidden grounds, wreathed in Sword Qi, his eyes somewhat pensive.
Quite a few female disciples who came to deliver spirit fruits and spirit wine found their gazes drifting into a daze. Were it not for the incident at Ancient Mulberry City, who could have imagined that the existence who casually crushed Earth Sword Immortals to death would be such a young master of divine bones and immortal grace?